Histoy Lesson
 

What is the oldest cartridge?

Just hoping some of the more knowledgable folks can jump in here an educate us.

Tom

RE: Histoy Lesson
 

Depends what you're talking about. Rimfire? Pinfire? Paper?

RE: Histoy Lesson
 

www.google.com

:D

RE: Histoy Lesson
 

1586 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartridge_(firearms)#History

RE: Histoy Lesson
 

Here I was figuring you guys would want to flex some of that mental muscle! Weaklings! LOL

Tom

RE: Histoy Lesson
 

The first metallic rimfire was introduced in 1845 by Flobert in France...It was a .22 caliber...

The word cartridge is from the French...In the Revolutionary War a cartridge box contained 25 paper rolled cartridges with powder and ball enclosed...

The first center fire metallic cartridge was invented by Hiram Berdan in the US in 1866...

RE: Histoy Lesson
 

The earliest efficient modern cartridge case was the pin-fire, patented, according to some authorities, by Houiller, a Paris gunsmith, in 1847; and, according to others, by Lefaucheux, also a Paris gunsmith, in or about 1850. It consisted of a thin weak shell made of brass and paper which expanded by the force of the explosion, fitted perfectly into the barrel, and thus formed an efficient gas check. A small percussion cap was placed in the middle of the base of the cartridge, and was exploded by means of a brass pin projecting from the side and struck by the hammer. This pin also afforded the means of extracting the cartridge case. This cartridge was introduced in England by Lang, of Cockspur Street, London, about 1855

RE: Histoy Lesson
 

Strange the the French would be the first to create a weapon! I guess first to create but last to use....

Tom

RE: Histoy Lesson
 

I think about theoldest COMPLETELY SELF-CONTAINED round made in the U.S. is the S&W "rocket ball" made for the Volcanic pistol, the mechanism of which, modified of course, became the Henry then Winchester repeating rifles. The "rocket ball" was a hollow-based bullet with a charge of fulminate of mercury opriming compound in the hollow. The fulminate was both priming and propellant.

I think the "BB-cap", or "ball-cap"type round was originated in France as a 6mm indoor target round by Flobert and perhaps others as well, about 1847. (A lot happened that year in Paris!) It consisted (and still does, as the .22 BB Cap) of a round ball in a copper case propelled by fulminate alone. The .22 CB cap round is similar, but used a conical ball instead of a round ball.

The first commercially successful U.S.-designedcomplete round holding priming, powder, and bullet in acartridge case was the .22 Short, adesigned by Smith & Wesson foruse in the S&W No. 1 revolver. Some pinfire shotshells were made here also, but I am not certain when their U.S. manufacture began.

RE: Histoy Lesson
 

The French were also the first to field a modern, smallbore smokeless-powder rifle, the 8mm Lebel. They were at least three years ahead of other countries with this development. In addition, beginning with Napoleon I, the French were the world's leader in advanced field artillery technology, vis the lightweight "Napoleon" 12-pound gun/howitzer such as used in the War between the States, and up to the famous "French 75" and their 155mm "Grand Puissance" field pieces of WWI....

What happened to France was that the Germans killed off most of the decent ,brave Frenchmen in the Franco-Prussian War and WWI, leaving nothing but the sick, lame and lazy as breeding stock. (Just the same as killing off all the decent bucks in a deer herd!) The results of this are obvious today. And I think the Krauts are suffering from a similar problem today, as ismost of the rest of Continental Europe. Makes it easier for the Jihadists to take over.....